Demand for tickets can shift after first games have been played

Syracuse.com reported this week that the NCAA East Region Tournament ticket in Buffalo was the hottest seller in the city during the last five years – even more sizzling than the average $200 cost for a Bruce Springsteen ticket when “The Boss” played First Niagara Center April 13, 2012.

Wednesday, the day before Syracuse University blew out Western Michigan, tickets for the entire slate of weekend games were averaging $449 and Saturday tickets were fetching $220, Connor Gregoire of SeatGeek.com told the Central New York website.

Which is why many a ticketless Syracuse fan might cringe to learn what happened this afternoon, after Dayton squeezed by Ohio State and several dozen long-faced, red-clad Buckeyes fans ambled out of First Niagara.

One on those fans was so distraught, he tossed his game tickets for today onto the curb. A scalper gobbled them up.

While it’s questionable that anyone would have been able to reuse the “First Session” ticket for the Syracuse game after it was taken out of the arena, those looking for their first taste of a live March Madness tournament game – any game – for the “Second Session” tonight were able to gobble them up for far less than the average price. A Buffalo News staffer was able to buy a pair off a scalper for $25 each.

It might stand to reason that fans from today’s four losing teams in Buffalo might look to unload their Saturday tickets at a giant loss, but before any of you Syracuse fans think about traveling to Buffalo from all corners of Upstate New York, consider this: Dayton, Ohio isn’t that much farther away, and fans of the Flyers – SU’s opponent – might be bringing along carloads of cash.